Sherlock Holmes – Directed by Guy Ritchie - 2009 – England
“Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.”
Analysis
The main focus of the front cover is on Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr). He placed in the centre of the image. He is fully in focus with nothing obscuring his face. The name of the magazine “empire” has been obscured by his head. This is a metaphor for the magazine is more about the films than the magazine itself.
His hands and head, which are the two most important parts of his image, are not obscured by text, this is because his expression and hands let you know who he is, as many other actors playing Sherlock Holmes in the past are known for the same positioning. What is also important about his hands and face are the cuts and bruises on them, this lets the consumer know that the film is going to be an action film.
Through his chest is all the information on the film that is going to be covered inside the magazine, the text is in a grey colour to show consumers that it is a film set in the past; this is also distinguishable from his outfit.
Other articles in the magazine (Prince of Persia and Alice in Wonderland) are also featured on the front cover (both images are of the main character solely), their images are seen behind the main feature. All the text of the magazine is positioned on the top layer, in front of the main article, but not positioned as to obscure its important features, the sub text(for other articles) is always highlighted in a box or circle to improve its readability.
